Aimed warhead

ABSTRACT

This invention provides a warhead device comprising a hemispherical shell filled with explosive and closed with a plastic back plate. A plurality of fins are pivoted on the periphery of the shell and normally are folded radially inward against the back plate. When the device is air dropped, it will fall in a nose forward attitude and the inertia of the fins will cause them to pop up parallel to the axis of the shell to provide flight stability. Because of the hemispherical shape, nearly all the fragmentation will be directed toward the target.

llnited States Patent 1 Abernathy 1 1 3 72&9@41

451 Apr.24,1973

1 AHMED WARHEAD David D. Fredericksburg, Va.

[75] Inventor: Abernathy,

[73] Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy [22] Filed: Sept. 15, 1966 [21] Appl. No.: 580,564

[52] US. Cl. ..l02/2, 1()2/7.2, 244/328 [51 Int. Cl ..F42h 25/16 [58] Field of Search .l()2/2-7.2 34.1; 244/328 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Taylor 102/4 Helmbold ..102/6 2,821,924 2/1958 Hansen et a] ..244/3.28 2,969,21 i 1/1961 Von Saurma 3, 15,831 12/1963 Suter ..102/4 Primary ExaminerSamuel W. Engle Att0rney-E. J. Brower, Arthur L. Branning and T. 0. Watson, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT This invention provides a warhead device comprising a hemispherical shell filled with explosive and closed with a plastic back plate. A plurality of fins are pivoted on the periphery of the shell and normally are folded radially inward against the back platev When the device is air dropped, it will fall in a nose forward attitude and the inertia of the fins will cause them to pop up parallel to the axis of the shell to provide flight stability Because of the hemispherical shape, nearly all the fragmentation will be directed toward the target.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENrl-jmmmsza 3,72 95 F/GZ INVENTOR DAV/0 0. ABER/VATH) ATTORNEY AGE/VT AIMED WARHEAD The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates generally to an explosive device and, more particularly, to either a bomb or bomblet, which by'virtue of its unique design and a simple stabilizing means, is capable of delivering substantially all of its kill mechanism to the target area.

Currently present in the art are a wide variety of multi-purpose bombs mostly all of a generally cigar shape. The fragmentation pattern produced by such a design is in the form of a cylindrical shell with the fragments emitting in a generally radial fashion from the detonating device. From this it is evident that as much as fifty percent of the available kill mechanism is distributed ineffectively and harmlessly upwards, away from the target. Since this type fragmentation pattern has an uneven distribution with regard to the target area, a high concentration of hits in some directions and few hits in others results depending upon the orientation of the device at detonation. Additionally, in utilizing these known type fragmentation devices in multi-aircraft bombing operations, it becomes increasingly possible for fragmentation from bombs dropped by the first of such aircraft to contact and kill incoming aircraft. This self-killing threat has resulted in a disasterous compromise in the tactics used for low altitude attacks in some bombing operations.

Accordingly, it is an object of the simple aimed warhead of the present invention to provide a general purpose weapon having a high degree of lethality against a wide variety of targets.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ordnance device wherein a significant amount of its kill mechanism will reach and destroy the target due largely to its unique design.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a means for stabilizing and aiming the ordnance device of the present invention so as to insure maximum kill at the target area.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an ordnance device whose configuration is substantially hemispherical such that practically all of its available kill mechanism is directed at the target.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an aimed warhead having collapsible fin means for stabilizing and aiming the device during its descent.

Other'objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a plurality of bombs according to the present invention arranged in a conventional canister which is secured to the underside ofa wing;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of one of the bombs I taken at line 22 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 3 is a top view of the simple aimed warhead taken at line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 an aircraft wing under which is attached by some accompanying conventional means a canister 11 of the known type in which is assembled a plurality of warheads 12, each according to the present invention. The warheads may be released from canister 11 through some desirable severing means, not shown in the drawings. Of course, any number of bomb containing canisters lit may be secured to any portion of the aircraft or the bombs may be otherwise deployed from the aircraft, without departing from the invention. Because of their unique design, the bomb release technique and the altitude at which they are dropped become immaterial since the warheads 12 will always assume a position wherein its flat surface will face upwardly.

Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 3 which specifically illustrate the invention, a simple aimed warhead device 12 is shown exemplifying a new concept for a general purpose high explosive weapon. The basic design of the weapon is of a substantially hemispherical shape as clearly shown in FIG. 2. Such a shape, however, is intended to be illustrative rather than limiting of the invention since a semi-cylindrical shape on other substantially arcuate cup-like shapes will suffice depending upon the nature and extent of the target involved. The kill mechanism of the weapon is carried by shell 13 which may be fabricated by many alternative methods and constructions and of any one or more of a number of materials, both metallic and non-metallic. It should also be noted that the general term kill mechanism includes linear-shaped charges and preformed or preshaped fragments of any one or more of a number of different layers of different sizes.

A high explosive l4 fills the area formed by shell 13 which explosive may be ignited by any conventional fuse means, not shown. A back plate 15 of plastic or some other suitable material is secured to shell 13 at its open end thereby completely enclosing explosive l4. Hingedly secured as at 17 around the edge of shell 13 are a plurality of straight fins 16 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in their folded and collapsed position of storage against the flat surface of plate 15 and extendable to an open position as shown in phantom in FIG. 2 substantially parallel to the direction of bomb descent. The design of these fins may be as shown or may be of greater lengths and modified widths.

In any event, these collapsible tins, when extended, produce both high drag and rapid stabilization of the warhead during its descent such that when released from the aircraft, the fins 16 pop up and the weapon resembles a shuttlecock. Experimentation has shown that regardless of weapon orientation at release, the warhead will always position itself nose forward, due to the forward position of its center of gravity. Experimentation has also shown that the fins render a significant amount of flight stability for aiming the warhead to an extent not heretofore possible. The use of collapsible fins for such a purpose is one of the principal novel features of the simple aimed warhead concept and, when assembled onto a weapon of hemispherical or near hemispherical shape, not heretofore so configured, practically all of the available kill mechanism is directed to the target. Additionally, the unique shape of the warhead according to the instant invention permits a symmetrical distribution of the emitted fragments over the target area.

From the foregoing, it becomes readily apparent that a bomb has been devised in which its descent speed and the direction of fragment projection is positively con trolled in a manner that is simple, easy to manufacture and inexpensive and at the same time eliminates the problem of bomb explosion interference with other bombs and with incoming aircraft. The hazard to launching aircraft which is currently experienced in low altitude attacks with general purpose bombs may be substantially reduced through the use of the simple aimed warhead according to the instant invention.

It should be also noted that a high degree of kill probability against the target spectrum can be obtained by varying the number of size fragments in the single layer pre-formed fragment shell or in the multi-layered shell of pre-formed fragments having layers of different sizes.

Also, the descent speed of the instant warhead can be altered, for example, by means of a plurality of arcuately shaped fins initially folded over the curved portion of the warhead, which, upon release of the bomblets, will pop-up to an open position similar to that shown in FIG. 2. The flower petal shape assumed by these fins will produce a retardation higher than those fins illustrated.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A simple aimed warhead device capable of reducing interference of bomb fragmentation with other bombs and with incoming aircraft during low altitude attack of targets and capable of directing substantially all of its kill mechanism to the target comprising:

a substantially arcuate cup-like shell filled with a high explosive;

a back plate secured to said shell at the open end thereof; and

a fin means hingedly secured around the open edge of said shell in an initially folded and collapsed position of storage against said back plate, whereby upon release of the device from an aircraft, said fln means inertially open to a position of flight substantially parallel to the direction of descent with said shell in a nose forward position thereby aiming the warhead.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said shell is shaped in the form ofa hemisphere.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said back plate is flat and said fins are straight so as to be flatly folded against said back plate.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein said back plate is flat and said fins are straight so as to be flatly folded against said back plate. 

1. A simple aimed warhead device capable of reducing interference of bomb fragmentation with other bombs and with incoming aircraft during low altitude attack of targets and capable of directing substantially all of its kill mechanism to the target comprising: a substantially arcuate cup-like shell filled with a high explosive; a back plate secured to said shell at the open end thereof; and a fin means hingedly secured around the open edge of said shell in an initially folded and collapsed position of storage against said back plate, whereby upon release of the device from an aircraft, said fin means inertially open to a position of flight substantially parallel to the direction of descent with said shell in a nose forward position thereby aiming the warhead.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said shell is shaped in the form of a hemisphere.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein said back plate is flat and said fins are straight so as to be flatly folded against said back plate.
 4. The device of claim 2 wherein said back plate is flat and said fins are straight so as to be flatly folded against said back plate. 